France 2011

October 2014

Not going next  year. We are sick sick sick of mooching about Europe for 12 weeks at a time.

January 2015 

We have had a lot of fun in Europe in the last 4 years but it will be nice to be home this year

March 2015

Wonder if airfares are lowish this year. Not that it matters as we are not going this year.

April 2015 

It is getting a bit cool here and there are some good prices still available.

May 2015

Well we have our tickets. But only for 5 1/2 weeks which should be a managable time rather than that tedious 12 weeks. We leave 8July and rteurn 15 August . So where will we go this year?.

June 2015

We are organised..... somewhat. We will drive up through Germany  , Denmark, Sweden, Norway then back down to south of France to visit friends before returning home. Pity it is not 12 weeks.

July 2015 

We will arrive at Beaurainville at 3pm on Thursday to unpack our motorhome. Thursday night in the hotel carpark, Friday morning get a roadworthy, Saturday drive 600 km to visit  Felix Sunday in Germany then drive 600km to Copenhagen for Tuesday. What could go wrong?  We have even allowed a 5 minute toilet stop  before we get to Stockholm after Copenhagen. After all if you can get around the world in 80 days, this trip should be a snip.

Wednesday 8th July 2015 Melbourne Australia

The good ol Met and Skybus deliver us to the airport in 1 hour  with tons of time for our 10 am boarding on Jetstar to Singapore. However the queues to get through security and customs mean we are at the gate lounge by 10, the supposed boarding time. On two occasions in the past 4 years I have been explosives tested but this year Ro is. Three out of 5 times for something which is random suggests we must look pretty sus as a couple. Either that or the operatives "don't want no trouble"  so they choose us gray haired geezers with the zimmer frames. Last time I paint my zimmer frame with psychodelic paint.
We board on time but some luggage mixup supposedly delays us at the apron for 90 minutes. Finally we are underway for our 8 hour flight which will land at 6pm , 1 1/4 hours late. Fortunately our Air France flight to Paris leaves at 10.30 so no great problem.
One and a quarter hours late was a bit optimistic as it turns out. Poor visibility keeps us in a holding patern for a further 40 minutes and we finally exit the aircraft at 7pm, over 2 hours later than out scheduled time. Still not a problem but it made a long time sitting , especially as we are in the inner two seats of four so we are trapped.
With a somewhat shorter wait at Changi we are at our gatelounge well before the 9.30 opening time. The travellators, each segment of which is about 100 metres, provided some home grown entertainment as a group of Aussie gymnasts travel back and forth doing handstands. It looks rather comical  seeing pairs of shoes where heads should  be. Our Aussie hearts swell with pride that the larrikan culture is still alive and well.  
And we do battle with Microsoft at a free wifi kiosk when they recognised a new device. For security they will not allow access until we retrieve a code from a second email account. But we cannot  access the second account until we retrieve a security code from the first account. Good 'ol Microsoft. We give up.
On board our Air France 777-200 we are asked to keep our seat belts unfastened as they are refuelling the aircraft. That is a first. Another first is the French safety video which features five or six smartly dressed girls in a  stylised drawing of an aircraft  pointing out the usual but in an extremely entertaining way which encourages one to watch. We like the way the French do things.
The rather tiresome 13 hour flight goes as comfortably as can be expected.We arrive at CDG at 5,30 am, clear customs, pick up our bags which had not been lost in the Melbourne curfuffle, and proceed to Gare CDG, or the train station as the plebs call it.

Thursday 9th July  2015 Paris France

We have four or five hours to kill. Not so hard as we have become masters of time killing. The fact that we are almost comotose due to sleep deprivation also helps. Our train leaves at  11 07 36.07325 (French trains are very timely) however ther 36.07325 becomes an extra  15 minutes which is not what we had hoped for in our tired states. Even worse, the 15 minutes becomes 19 minutes. Our faith in French trains is dashed but we have about 40 minutes wait at Lille so the lateness will be absorbed.
That is if we can find our next train at Lille. We arrive at Lille Europe but need to leave from Lille Flanders. As usual the French offer "un petit suggestion" as to where Lille Flanders is but not clear directions on how to get there. With the delay on the TVG out "heaps of time" has become "a bit of time" which does not allow for a lot of getting lost.  Entering the shopping mal is not a good start. The sign showing we should ascend the escalator proves to be don't ascend the escalator. The sign which shows "Gare  Lille Flanders" both up the escalator and on this level proves to be multiple ways to get there but not necessarily the shortest.
One way or another, our "heaps of time" proves to be "just enough time" and we find ourselves on the way to  our next train for our final segment to Beaurainville. All French trains have  an LED sign showing which station is next.  All trains except this one. Likewise announcements. So we anxiously watch each station name, knowing that if we read the correct name, the train will have left before we can get off. Instead we rely on our watches, notwithstanding our loss of faith in French punctuality. Our fears are dispelled when our stop turns out to be the terminus. More adrenalin to get rid of.
Finally we arrive at Beaurainville at the 3.56 time stated on the tickets. A brisk 30 minute walk and we are finally at the van, The storage proprieters are away  but a keysafe holds the door keys so within a few minutes we are at the van. I connect the batteries hoping that the motor will start. The sick cranking suggests we are out of luck but on the last gasp, the motor starts and we can move to the fresh air.
The van has wintered well. Inside is reasonably dust free as opposed to outside which will create a dust storm over France when we brush it off.  However after an attack with a broom, cleaning off acorns presumably stored from resident squirrels and droppings presumably from the same source, we are ready to go.
First we search for Dekra, the business which will do our Control Tequnique as required biennially. Then to Aldi for some groceries, most importantly for dinner. Last time we had dinner at the pub but by the time it arrived we were nearly asleep. Gravy on ones nose is not a good look. So instead, with her last ounce of wakefulness, Rosemary makes a scrumptious dinner of vegetables and fish. We skip sweets in favour of a shower and bed. Needless to say we sleep quickly and soundly with the van parked in a car park opposite the pub.
Until 3 am when dripping from the shower and the click-click from the fridge igniter awake me. Next morning it transpires that the gas is empty and we had been just lucky enough to have sufficient for cooking and hot water for a shower each.

Friday 10th July 2015 Beaurainville France

Breakfast is light on without any hot drinks so we arrive at Dekra for the Control Technique with plenty of time. One flaw in our planning will be exposed if the van does not pass due to faulty brakes. But we are lucky and all goes well. The van passes with flying colours so we leave by 10.30 for Borken which is about 1 1/2 hours from Felix,  Kathrin and their one year old son, Ari, in Osnabruck.  If we can cover the 480 km this afternoon, we can stay at Borken two nights and have tomorrow for relaxation.
The  afternoon is spent dashing along freeways in France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. We should arrive by 6pm, allowing for a quick morning tea, assured to be quick as we have no heat source, and perhaps a more leisurely lunch.
Driving on freeways involves the usual tight formation flying. The only problem is that other drivers have fighter jets whereas we have a Cesna. Timing is critical but the ordered way in which motorway users drive here makes it quite enjoyable. Zip out of the right most lane checking that the fighter jet approaching from behind either has an outer lane available  or that we have just enough time, momentum and flat ground to slip back in to the right lane after passing the horse drawn vehicle we are slowly closing in on.
Along the way in Belgium we stop for lunch at a servo which we hope has LPG. It does so we now have heat available for cooking.
Unfortunately we did not allow for Friday afternoon traffic near Antwerp. Crawling along start stop before inexplicably returning to 110 kph manages to chew up 1 hour and we arrive at Borken at 7.10 rather than 6. However, as usual, we are welcomed in German and shown to a camp site. I must admit, I assume welcomed as my German is sufficiently poor not to understand German abuse. Fortunately the meaning of  a smile is universal.
By 9 pm, we have eaten and are ready for bed, still not having quite recovered from our inbound flights.

Saturday 11th July 2015 Borken Germany

Today is promised to be 30 degrees so we can spend a relaxing day around the large  beautifully clean pool.
But first we are informed there is a yearly shared breakfast at 10am. We go for a swim early and have some muesli before joining 79 others at the breakfast. We take  an Australian flag and are applauded although there is laughter at my kangaroo impersonation. There is a Dutch couple who speak English well. With a little help from them, we have discussions with a German couple. With a little English from them and a little German from me we have a rather halting discussion, although I am not sure about what.
About 11am we learn that there is to be a lesson in Line dancing to "Achy Breaky Heart" and we feel obligated not to let Australia down. While Ro picks up the steps easily, a "natural" according to our new Dutch friend, my utter confusion with left and right now I am driving on the right side of the road means my not getting up would have let Australia down considerably less. We are somewhat amused that we spend probably 15 minutes learning the steps without music then do the dance once to music and that is it.
Although we want to do some shopping before Denmark, the weather is too nice to leave this lovely environment so we will do the shopping Monday.
We spend the afternoon relaxing and doing the odd bit of maintenance/improvements before a light dinner and bed.

Sunday 12th July 2015 Borken Germany

Awaking early, Ro braves the pool before breakfast  while I brave the delights of the waste point. Dumping waste every couple of days is a small price to pay for the convenience of having our own conveniences.
After breakfast we are on our way to Osnabruck to visit Kathrin and  Felix and to meet Ari. It is a 1 1/2 hour trip and we had emailed that we would be there by 10. Our departure time should get us there by 9.15.
As always, we watch out for the cheapest fuel. Having bought diesel for 1.19 euro/ litre in France when we see it for 1.23 we mutter "tell him he's dreamin`" and drive on. Along the way, as the red fuel line is passed, we buy diesel at 1.36/litre. Maybe we had mistaken the dreamers for the dreamees. But being the canny Scots we are (well Ro's heritage goes back to the Isle of Mull) we only buy 20 litres, purchasing a further 40 litres at 1.21 in Osnabruck. Later we will see it for 1.17. Doh!
At Borken we had discussed the merrits of complying with the emission rules of Osnabruck. In favour was buying a green sticker for 5 euro versus a fine of 50 euro if caught in the city centre exclusion zone without one. Against was the fact that we considered our vehicle would not be granted one due to its emissions. Being a Sunday, we think we will wing it.
Arriving at Felix and Kathrin's flat, our next problem is parking. The row of double parked cars encourages us and as we arrive, Felix is there to greet us. We discuss further the  problems re the green sticker. If we double park and are caught we get fined. Without a green sticker we get fined so we decide "in for a penny, in for a pound" and double park without the sticker. The advantage is that we can watch the official writing the ticket from the flat. Perhaps not a huge advantage.
We spend an enjoyable hour or so meeting Ari. Last year we had brought a kangaroo with us from Kangaroo Island. It had wintered in the van and was now wrapped in coloured tissue paper in a carry bag. As is to be expected, Ari loves the tissue paper but is ambivailent about the soft toy.
Over the morning and afternoon, we learn what what Ari's communication signs mean. Our concern that his screwed up nose means the kangaroo has not wintered very well proves to be his communication sign for 'rabbit', which is a fair description for the toy.
After a delicious lunch cooked by Felix (and a lament by Ro that she does not have one like that) we go for two walks, one of which is to an ice cream parlour. Three years ago  we had a spaghetti lookalike icecream and we want another.
Returning to Felix and Kathrin's flat we have some strawberry cake, also delicious, then Ro and I  decide to head toward Lubeck which Felix has suggested we visit on route to Denmark. He did his undergraduate study at the university there and he says the heritage listed  old town is well worth the visit.
After  farewelling Kathrin, Felix and Ari about 5, we drive until 8 overnighting at a highway parking area which is minimally screened from the busy motorway. We won't need much dinner as lunch was so filling, which is fortunate as our provisions are low. High on the list for tomorrow is some shopping at our preferred outlet, Lidl.

Monday 13th July 2015 Highway side near Lubeck Germany.

It is about one hour to Lubeck but by the time we stop at Lidl to stock then drive through the town and find a place to park we decide we cannot do justice to Lubeck in a few hours. Instead  we will continue on to Lillebaelt our overnight camp in Denmark and visit Lubeck on our return to Germany, overnighting in the parking area we have just found.
Driving through Denmark we are astounded at number of large transport depots between verdant rolling meadows.
Reaching Lillebaelt about 7 we are fortunate to have a Norwegian turn up at the closed reception at the same time as there is a mobile number to call and we don't have phone connection.
The site manager comes and shows us around the facilities and we choose a campsite overlooking a wide expanse of water. A short while later a caravan threatens to obscure our view but fortunately it is moved where our view is unimpeded.
After dinner I have a sauna which is welcome as summer is not exactly hot here. The sauna has a panoramic view across the lake and I have a good discussion with the Norwegian who assisted as we arrived. Although it is about 9pm, it is still as light as at 5pm.
By 11, although it is still daylight, we close our curtains and go to bed.

Tuesday 14th July 2015 Lillebaelt Denmark.

The day breaks sunny but with a chilly wind. In the shade of the van the wind can be escaped and the sun is warn though not with the strength of sun in Australia. The Scandinavians seen to be oblivious to the wind. I had been a bit concerned when I has asked the Norwegian if it was warm when he answered it was a bit cold. My concern was that a bit cold may have meant sub zero but fortunately last week it had been 26 and cold was referenced to that.
We spend the morning reading, relaxing and doing the odd chore. I had brought a DC-DC voltage intensifier to fit to the water pump in the hope that  it would improve pump flow but it is a failure. However I do discover that I can run the grinder through the inverter off the battery so I can adjust the water bottle holder I brought from Melbourne. One out of two is better than none.
Around lunch time we decide to head off to our campsite just outside Copenhagen. It is 2 hours away and we will stop for lunch along the way.
The downside to my discovery re the angle grinder is that the battery now won't start the engine. In Melbourne we had blown a boat trailer tyre some months ago and were fortunate enough to have a petrol head with a full workshop buying some dinner where we had stopped to borrow tools to change the tyre. Similarly here, a motocross junkie offered his truck full of tools to get the van going. I think he was disappointed when I started it with our jumper leads onto the house battery. We have found the Danes a friendly lot,
By 4.30 we reach  our next campsite. Because the distances are shorter we can start avoiding motorways which we find souless and lacking any cultural identity. Back roads lead one through villages where the country's identity is revealed through the houses, how they are kept, the colours and the architecture. As might be expected, Denmark is neat and orderly and not teaming with people.
Our campsite is one hour from Copenhagen and nicely laid out with lots of grass and hedges which we soon discover are valuable for shielding  from the strong sea breezes. We are up on a cliff face overlooking the sea which exacerbates the breeze.
First up is some washing. There is a frontloading machine which will wash our four towels and one tea towel in only 2 hours. Perhaps it remanufactures them rather than washing them. Instead the short cycle is chosen, taking only 80 minutes. However the manager warns us that "washing machine" minutes are not the usual minutes we are used to so perhaps we should book another night here.
It seems a watched washing machine is very similar to a watched pot as it takes an age to finish. If indeed it remanufactured the towels, the effect is very accurate because the threadbare patches remained that way.
In order to come down from our washing high, we have cheese and biscuits then dinner. After dinner, as it is still bright daylight, so we  walk along the foreshore, bracing ourselves against the rather cool breeze.

Wednesday 15th July 2015 Jaegersborg Denmark.

If it seemed breezy yesterday, today it is quite windy. Although not cold, it is not pleasant to be in so we instead head for Copenhagen taking all back roads. For the next two nights we are staying at the Phoenix Hotel in Copenhagen more due to a mistake than a definite plan. We will park the motorhome at the City Camp, a parking place for motorhomes which we only discovered after booking the hotel which we could not then unbook.
We can only check in after 3pm which proves to be about right by the time we park the van and cycle to the hotel, taking three or four wrong turns along the way. The problem with putting Thomasina in ones pocket is that unseen presses through the pocket can reprogram her. She starts directing us to the hotel but somewhere along the way decides instead that we want to go back on our bicycles to France. But we twigged before we even reached the German border.
Finally we arrive at the hotel. There is valet parking offered for Bentleys etc but it seems this does not extend to bicycles. So we instead have the courtyard opened and park them there. Ours are not the only bikes but perhaps the rest belomg to staff.
We requested a room on the second floor hoping for a view, Our view turns out to be a view of windows which have a view to us. Not the view we had in mind. However, we don't expect to spend a lot of time gazing out the window. Nor, for that matter, providing entertainment for those gazing from oposite.
There had been a canal to cross on our trip here so we return to stroll along the many eating places. The buildings remind us of a cross between  colour of   Tobermorey on Mull and the elegance of Helsinki. There are many boats moored in the canal including the very wide and long canal boats which offer trips on the canals. Their geometry refelect the low bridges under which they pass.
We walk up and down the food offerings mostly street tables but nothing really appeals so we eat fish and chips away from the crowds on a seat by the canal.
Down toward a larger canal we have views over very impressive contemporary architecture. However it is getting a bit cold so we return to the hotel.

Thursday 16th July 2015 Copenhagen Denmark. 

A buffet breakfast is offered in the hotel restaurant. What we eat will sustain us for most of the day, which is how we are meant to function.  There is little doubt that eating like this every morning  would allow us to join the swelling ranks of the obese, with an emphasis on swelling.
Our first outing is to the canal boats were we take a one hour boat trip for  AU $8 per head which seems very reasonable. Copenhagen is very waterfocused and there is quite a number of canals through the city centre where  the long wide and low canal boats ferry large numbers of passengers under very low bridges at relatively high speeds. Although the guides who give commentaries in English, German and Danish sequentially warn when low bridges are approaching, I am surprised that the occasional head is not removed. Anyone standing would likely suffer that fate.
The boat gives a very pleasant introduction to the buildings and cityscapes around Copenhagen, from 16th century buildings to the many contemporary buildings which are very impressive. Especially impressive for a country of 5.6 million. The Copenhagen Opera House is particularly striking with its huge rectangular slightly angled roof which tapers to a feather edge on the harbour side. The iconic Copenhagen Little Mermaid, from a Hans Christian Andersen fable, is a must see on the canal boat and is distinguished by the hordes of people on the bank nearby.
Returning to the hotel we retrieve our bikes from the courtyard  and cycle toward the Kastellette, the best preserved fortress in Europe (if I am remembering correctly). Along the way we visit a cute little church then along past an impressive fountain. There is a  160 meter luxury yacht (so called) in port called Eclipse owned by a Russian businessman. There were two or three ships of this size worldwide in 2014 but there were 140 scheduled for building in 2015. Capitalism seems to be alive and well. One could hire this for about 1 million euro per week with an extra 50% on top to cover fuel, food and gratuities.
A bit further on is the land side view of the Little Mermaid. The photos from the boat were stunning of her back but we want her front view also. But the crowds are still milling as every tour bus in the area has this on its adgenda like the canal boats.
The Kastellette has earth ramparts and a moat surrounding it and is accessed via a bridge. The three storey barracks are painted red, in excellent contition and still in use by the military. We can walk around the public areas unimpeded. A glimpse from just inside the gatehouse is all we require to get a feel for the area and we return on our bikes to look at Amelienborg, a current Royal residence, a significant part of which is undergoin restoration and hidden behind scaffolding and mesh. Fortunate timing on our part   allows us to view the changing of the guard, one group of whom are equipped with full buzzbees, which would be rather hot today. We note that many Danes are very tall and this is particularly evident among guards.
From there we ride to the Botanical Gardens, stopping before at Rosengorg Slot, another royal residence. Copenhagen is a beautiful city with a lot of parklands and waterways. It is very flat so there are huge numbers of bikes.
It is approaching closing time so we leave and start cycling back. Along the way we find a restaurant where we intend having a small dinner. However a buffet of Italian food is offered so our plans are dashed and our stomachs expanded. The food is delicious and not salty which suits us. Although prices in Denmark seem to be high, this meal is excellent value.
Returning to the hotel, our intention is to walk after a stomach settling rest. However the rest proves to be longer than we plan.

Friday 17th July 2015 Copenhagen Denmark

First up is the super stuffer buffet breakfast. Twice a year is more than enough for us. This will keep us going all day.
Check out time from the hotel is 12 noon. There is some vascillation about whether to visit the museum and return to the hotel or take our two backpacks and leave them at the museum cloak room. Ultimately the latter is adopted and we ride our bikes the one or two kilometers to the museum, depositing the bags in lockers available at the museum. The locker keys are unnumbered for security.... and confusion as it turns out. Returning after 60 minutes in the museum, we find a group of ladies somewhat concerned that their key does not open our locker. We redirect them and retrieve our bags.
The museum is housed in an 18th century building and well presented. Many small rooms offer interest from prehistoric to recent history. The biggest problem is that it is very hot where the unseasonably hot sun strikes the un- airconditioned rooms.The overheating is the main determinant of our stay,
By early afternoon we are ready to cycle back to our motorhome at City Camp. The trip to the inauspicious location takes 15 or so minutes where we eat lunch and are on the road by 2.30.
Our journey now takes us from Denmark to Sweden via a 3 kilometer tunnel and a long bridge for a cost of 52 euro. Once in Sweden we want to reach a camp site about 200 km away leaving about 550 km to Stockholm.
Sweden is quite different from Denmark. The rolling hills are replaced by forrest and a lot more water. The predominant house and barn colour of red (a brick red), white and black are iconic and ubiquitous. Occasionally a renegade paints his house a soft yellow or house and barn in light gray, but these rebels are in the minority. Off the motorways, these scenes prevail with lush crops providing a uniform mat up to the buildings.
By 5 we reach where our camp should be. However, as sometimes happens, our GPS coordinate does not quite get us there. Where we stop is by a lake which would make a lovely campsite but we decide to try an alternate coordinate and that leads us to the camp a short way further around the lake.
We are welcomed and find a site. There are only twenty or so other campers in a nicely treed and grassy area. There are some forest walks which lead to other areas by the lake. However mozzies and the time mean our walk is not a long one.
Returning we have dinner then a sauna before bed. As would be expected, saunas are big in Scandinavia and most nights an electric or wood fired sauna, often with a view, is operating.

Saturday 18th July 2015 Kyrkhult Sweden.

The sky is overcast with no sun but the temperature is not cold. The forest walk last night continued further into the forest so we explore that after breakfast. It is a lovely deserted  track which leads back around the camp. However after perhaps 2 km we seem to be heading away from the camp so we backtrack. On the path are what seem to be hundreds of locusts but which on closer inspection are tiny frogs from 1 to  1.5 cm long. I pick one up for Ro  to photograph  and close inspection of that suggests they may be toads. Perhaps we will leave them alone.
The day stays overcast so we will head toward Stockholm. It is about 6 hours from here so we will stay at an intermediate campsite about 4 houts from here and  2 hours from Stockholm.
We have been concerned that our Travel Card has been incurring some random charges when we buy at automatic fuel dispensers. A 12 euro transaction had a 125 euro transaction attached. Likewise two others had significant other transactions attached. After contact with the bank and observation of our statement, it transpired that the large amount is a security amount which is not claimed by the vendor, presumable unless there is some fraudulent transaction.
When leaving Denmark we had asked the city camp manager whether Swedish fuel prices are more or less than Denmark. He said prices go Sweden, Denmark then Norway. We didn't fill up in Denmark on that advice........which was wrong! Checking later on the net, Denmark is cheaper but Norway is the most expensive so we will fill before leaving Sweden. The 10 Swedish Kroner to 1 euro makes buying fuel a bit scary. Seeing a price of 583 on the pump makes one feel like a semi trailer driver.
Once again our GPS coordinate is a bit wrong. We drive up what turns out to be a house drive with supposedly 400 metres to go before we realise we are in the wrong place. The owner helpfully gives us directions and we reach our camp 4 km further on.
Once again, there is a sauna operating by 8pm and I have a discussion with Swedes who almost universally speak English at some level. When they speak in Swedish to one another, it is a very unfamiliar language with nothing recognisable. There is a Finn there who speaks Swedish and English. No one understands his Finnish which they think is like Hungarian, presumably based on the Cyrillic alphabet.

Sunday 19th July 2015 Figeholm Sweden

The morning is overcast again with a cool breeze. We will head for Stockholm this morning after a walk which takes us along some rural dirt roads. We get to see typical rural houses at close hand and take photos of many different wild flowers such as daisies, small thistles, violas, ferns and many others unrecognisable all dotted between silver birches and large rocks.
Our journey to Stockholm is about 2 hours. We had an option to take a ferry but the road is much the same time so we take that.  Along the way an exit from the motorway promises a picnic table. However the setting leaves something to be desired so we drive a little way along a road into the forest and there is a clearing where we can stop.
Continuing on toward Stockholm we meet the standard traffic jam which  starts for no apparent reason and stops for no aparent reason. Finally we enter Stockholm and are presented with numerous tunnels. We are concerned that Thomasina will not know her way about underground and the tunnels are huge with multiple exits along the way. Although she authoratively tells us what to do, as we exit she is silent for a few moments, presumably not wanting to admit she doesn't know where we are. After numerous long tunnels, we somehow exit somewhere near where we need to be which is a motorhome camping area I found on the net. Where we had planned to stay was full until Tuesday but this area which is by the waterside is wonderful. Furthermore, we are informed by another motorhome occupant that this area is better than the other site at which he has stayed previously.
We are opposite a wharf with numerous character filled boats and we can park here free tonight then for 12 euro per day thereafter.
A fellow Swedish  motorhomer gives us information regarding points of interest in Stockholm and information regarding Oslo and also Portugal and Spain. A very valuable resource.
It is about 8pm and still very light so we go walking. Stockholm spans numerous islands joined by bridges. We cross one bridge onto an island where we will visit a large museum tomorrow in a very impressive building built in the early 1900s. Walking back we enjoy the evening waterfront and think how lucky we are to have this experience. We are in the middle of the city with everything we need and will wake up to the gentle operations of the waterfront.
The device I brought from Melbourne to improve the shower flow was a dismal failure. When we are plugged in to 240 volts, the flow is much better. Tonight I have an epiphany. What if I plug the output of the 500 watt inverter into the 240 volt input? While this may seem like that old chestnut perpetual motion, it is more biblical in nature. Rob Peter to pay Paul. Unfortinately the robbee is the starting battery so I hope Peter has broad shoulders.
It works! I have a shower with decent flow and the motor still starts afterward. Rather more strangely, when the inverter is unplugged, the shower still has a higher flow. Maybe it is more biblical in nature than I thought.
So to bed. For some reason we sleep better here than in Australia. Maybe because we watch no TV here.

Monday 20th July 2015 Stockholm Sweden

The gentle sounds of the waterfront unfortunately include trams and quite a bit of traffic. Nevertheless, waking up here and eating breakfast overlooking the water and 50 other motorhomes is magical. We can park here until 9am tomorrow for 12 euro and stay as long as we like, or certainly as long as we want to be here. We need a few days to explore the city, which from here looks lovely.
There is a slight drizzle of rain so we allow the drizzle and breakfast to both settle before cycling off.  Unfortunately the drizzle increases so it is 11 before we mount our trusty bikes to  ride to the museum. After that we will ride around the island on which the museum is situated.
The museum is interesting and well laid out. The interior is as impressive as the exterior. Inside the door, a giant oak statue of Gustave III (we think) seated. His generous proportions suggest obesity is not a recent thing.
Upstairs are exhibits of housing through the ages. Before WWII Sweden had some of the worst housing in Europe but they dramatically altered that from the late 40s. Other exhibits show furniture, table decorations, clothing and other domestic human endeavours onward from the 1500s. Although the museum was supposed to show Scandinavian lifestyles, the volume of exhibits now allow only Swedish culture to be showcased.
While we look through the museum,  the rain has intensified. By 5 the museum is about to close so we exit in lite drizzle and wait in the van for it to pass. The clouds clear and the evening is dry and not too cool.
Cycling toward the Old Town, we pass multiple water fronts before Ro spies a laneway, the end of which looks like the streets we expect in old towns. Unfortunately the crowds of tourists, eateries and souvenier shops are much the same as we have come to expect also.
It is about dinner time. After inspecting numerous menus we select an outside table at a restaurant away from the crowds. We order meat medium rare which is a mistake as the Swedish translation for that must be 'nearly uncooked'. We do not enjoy the meal and leave by 7.45.
Riding back; rather than returning immediately to our "home", we ride further away from the water through a lovely green park before returning about 9 pm.
Tomorrow we will get a ticket for a hop on hop off  bus and boat to explore further afield, assuming dry weather.

Tuesday 21st July 2015 Stockholm Sweden

Our plan today is to do the HoHo thing. Probably the HOHo bus and HoHo boat. Whenever we have used a Hop On Hop Off bus we have found it very worthwhile and we loved the Batteau Bus in Paris.
Walking the 300 metre to the area where ferries depart, we stand in a queue before I decide to look further along the quay. A Red Bus representative recognises the signs of a tourist and starts to extoll the virtues of his bus. Reminscent of the conductor in Singapore except he approached  on foot whereas she had come in for the pitch hanging out of the bus in question.
As I return to consult Ro, the opposition rep from Green buses has seen some indecision on my part and pitches his spiel. His bus is the original, has a few more stops and, as a sweetener, he will give our party of two a group discount of 10%.  We are convinced and buy his ticket for 690 SEK or AU$100 for a two day pass.
The boat visits 8 stops and takes one hour to traverse these. There is a commentary and we learn that 14 inhabited islands make up Stockholm central. Returning to stop 1 we continue for another 2 where we will hop off at the Vasa museum where a warship from the 1600s was raised from the harbour in the 1960s. It sank 20 minutes into its maiden voyage much to the embarrassment of the builders. The brackish water of the harbour had preserved the wreck and the museum is the most visited in Stockholm attracting one million visitors per year.
However as we leave the boat, we see a group of ships which we can explore as part of the maritime museum. There is a lighthouse ship which is fully open to the public, from the lighthouse at the top of a 35 step spiral stairway down to the living quarters and some machinery.
Another ship is open; an ice breaker built in 1915 and used until 1970. Once again everything is accessible. The engine room has walkways accessing the steam driven engines and the boilers can be inspected. Oil cans still have oil in them as if the ship were still operating. The living quarters are all open and the bright orange  wet and cold weather gear is hanging up in the lockers as if the ship  went out yesterday. None of the Australian 'nanny state'. We are given the opportunity to look after ourselves.
Nearing lunchtime, we go to the Vasa museum. The length of the queues shows how popular it is and discourages us from queueing. Maybe tomorrow, early as it opens at 8.30. Instead as we are near "home", we have lunch overlooking the passing throngs.
The afternoon is spent on the bus. Toward the end of the afternoon, it starts to rain. We take another boat ride before bussing about in the rain until 6 when we don some plastic ponchos from two years ago, from the bus tour in Dublin....who cares if we look like big plastic coated  garden gnomes, we will arrive "home"relatively dry upon which the rain intensifies. We will stay in for the evening.
Ro cooks a lovely meal of salmon and vegetables which we enjoy many times more than our meal last night. Lets hope tomorrow is not wet.

Wednesday 22nd July 2015 Stockholm Sweden

The Vasa Museum opens earlier than other attractions  and it is our intention to join the crowd to beat the crowd. Arriving there about 8.45 there is already a group there but they go in the group door and we enter the 'others' door immediately.
The ship is huge. Built between 1625 and 1628, it was the biggest and most advanced warship in the world. Unfortunately King Gustav had ordered a second deck of guns against  the advice of the Dutch designer and this was its downfall. 20 minutes into its maiden voyage a gust of wind caused the ship to heal sufficiently for water to gush into the open gun ports and it sank with the loss  of 30 or 40 people. However, 17th century Sweden's loss is 21st century Swedens gain. The ship is the largest ship of that age worldwide.
The museum is very well done. Apart from the stunning ship, there are numerous exhibits of artifacts, below deck mockups, cross sections, a 1:10 scale model in full sail and lots of information, thankfully in English as well as Swedish.  There are seven levels from which the ship can be viewed. It has been carefully stablilzed since its lifting from the harbour bottom in 1961. The conservation work took 17 years before the ship could be displayed. Since then, it has been returned to its former state using 98% of the original ship. It has been well preserved for 333  years underwater due to the low salinity in the harbour because Stockholm sits between a fresh lake and the Baltic Sea. Wood worms, the main cause of decay, cannot live in that environment. A lack of barnicles on boat hulls here attests that.
By lunchtime we have seen our fill. Undoubtedly one could spend days there but information overload takes its toll and 3 hours is enough.
I have brought the computer with us so we can use the free wifi to catch up on  emails etc. By the time we leave the Vasa Museum, the visitors are almost shoulder to shoulder and the queues outside are horrific. Possibly due to the number of people the wifi is as slow as a wet week. The Norska Museum which we visited two days ago has wifi and is only a few minutes away back toward the van where we intend to have lunch. So we spend 40 minutes there catching up before going back for lunch.
We can use our HoHo tickets until this evening so a leisurely few trips by boat around the harbour look appealing. On the first trip, we exit at Stockholm's amusement park where we have free entry as part of our ticket. We have been observing some of the rides  during our boat trips. One is an 80 meter free fall ride. Another has swings which raise 80 meters while their occupants are rotated and swing out at 30 degrees or so. There are also rollercoaster rides galore. It looks like a lot of fun but Ro is not too keen and I don't succumb. Nevertheless, the engineering involved is very interesting.
By 5 the boats stop and we cycle back to the van for some refreshments and a bit of a rest. A bit later we return to ride the buses but after waiting at a stop for 30 minutes it seems unlikely the bus will come. Although the pamphlet did not tell us. the evening buses only run part of the route.
Riding to the start point, we miss a bus and are informed there will be a 40 minute wait. Perhaps we won't bother. Instead we cycle back home and have a delicious meal of vegies and fish.
A bit later, as it is still broad daylight and not cold, we cycle back toward the Vasa which is on Djurgarden Island where there is a large parkland around which we cycle for 40 minutes. Tomorrow we will return here to visit Skansen which is an outdoor museum with 150 dwellings reassembled there from all over Sweden and depicting times from the last several hundreds of years. There is also a zoo with elk and bears which we may or may not visit.
Cycling back to the van, we turn in for the night.

Thursday 23rd July 2015 Stockholm Sweden

We have learned that the early bird catches the worm. After a breakfast, noteable for its absence of worms, we are ready to cycle to Skansen by 9am.
Skansen is like  Sovereign Hill in Ballarat Australia except that it was founded in 1891 and  and as such the buildings have an historic feel as they should as some of the buildings have been on site for 120 years. Although Beamish in UK has an 'old' feel about it, having been founded about 30 years ago, the comparison with Skansen is marked.
We are at the entrance at 9.15. This time we have indeed beaten the crowds. Unfortunately that is because it doesn't open until 10.
At 10, we queue with the crowds to enter. There is an escalator which saves us the climb up a significant hill to the first buildings. The long escalator is invisible, having been installed in a tunnel through the cliff face many years ago.
We have paid for parking until 1pm expecting that 3 1/2 hours would be enough for us. Now we have 2 1/2 hours so the pressure is on. Inspecting the glass blowing, we proceed to the furniture factory and engineering works. Our now shortened stay is helped by the fact that many buildings don't open until 11. The worms seem to be sleeping in.
We had been unsure of the morality of visiting animals in captivity but as other things are closed, we venture toward the zoo. Morality can occasionally be overshaddowed by convenience. As it happens, the enclosures are large and well adapted to the animals` habitat, to the extent that I know the animal's habitat. But the attention to detail is evident.
Before we reach the reindeer, we stop in to a printers home from the 1840s. There is a piano there from that period and it is open with music  on the stand. The period dressed attendant says the piano is working and in tune. Ro has a tinkle. It is the oldest piano she has played.
The bears provide an extended show of mating suggesting that either their environment is so boring there is nothing else to do or that they are so relaxed in their environment that they are oblivious to the dozens of interested spectators. In fact the response of the spectators is as interesting as the mating process. One American woman loudly (is there any other way) exclaims "We really shouldn't be watching them" without turning away. Whether it is a puritanical observation or anthropomorophic, considering their privacy is not apparent. A Swedish woman with a young child enthusiastically points out the activity to her partner. I am, of course, merely an observer.
We also see elk, bison, boars, wolves, wolverines (related to badgers) and numerous other animals, all  apparently happily going about their business. As a zoo, it stands up well.
We are running out of time quickly. There is time to look at a few more buildings then visit the pottery before cycling back to the van to avoid a possible parking ticket.
There is time for a hot drink then we want to start off for Oslo. While it would have been nice to stay the rest of today, we have been here 4 days without water top up or effluent dumping and we need to do both. Last year we also had to consider the battery but our low wattage lights and engine charging of the house battery has improved that.
A fellow Swedish motorhomer has given us information as to dump points along  our route so we will head for one of those. First, though, we need to stock up on provisions. A Lidl along the way fixes that and a Bauhaus hardware store provides a couple more LED replacement globes.
By 6 we have cleared Stockholm and want a break. Stopping near a church we spy a water tap. The waste dumps may or may not provide water so we  ask at the house closeby whether we could take 80 litres. The lady who answers calls her husband and we have a pleasant chat with them for 10 minutes. It seems that they are the parish  minister and his wife. The discussion turns to Abba and she says she does not like them much. Being the recent Abbaphile I have become, I state how clever  I think the lyrics and harminisation are and we leave  with an undertaking by her to re evaluate their work. Fancy that;  Australians teaching Swedes about Abba. We fill the tank and are on our way.
It is about 7 when we reach the dump point and it takes about 20 minutes to dump all our gray and black water. There is no hose fitting so the decision to fill earlier is vindicated.
There are about 350 km to Oslo so we can drive a bit further tonight and sleep in a motorway rest area.
By 9.45 it is starting to get dark so we stop for the night. Ro whips up a quick dinner and we are ready for some reading before bed.

Friday 24th July 2015 300km from Oslo but still in Sweden

It is a quiet night after breakfast we set off toward Oslo. We want to fill with fuel close to the border as Norwegian fuel is quite a bit dearer than Swedish fuel we been told.
The 300 km we need to cover to Oslo seems to take forever.  Along the way we stop for morning tea then lunch overlooking a lovely river.
Soon we will enter Norway and we now consider whether we want a break from touristy pursuits. There is a campsite about 50km from Oslo on the water where we might spend a day of R&R, the first R being 'repairs'. I have discovered LED light modules which use 0.1 amps instead of the  0.5 to 2 amps that our current lights use. This is motorhome gold and the three I bought have transformed our home from a medieval dungeon at night to Las Vegas. Another 3 will complete the task. The astronauts in the space station orbiting at night will thank us. I also want to check that we have some brakes because there is a slight grinding noise as we stop. Question is: which one first?
We arrive at our campsite via the not unusual circuitous route. It is 5pm and there is some sunshine but a rather cool breeze. Fortunately there is some shelter so we can top up our vitamin D without freezing our ..... well without freezing.
There is a sauna from 6 to 10pm so I spend an hour or so chatting to others while heating up. There is a Dutch couple who don't speak Norwegian so the common language is English. How fortuitous. We have quite an enjoyable chat before I return to the van for a  nice dinner magically created  by Ro in our pocket handkerchief kitchen.
After dinner we both go for another sauna where we meet a Norwegian who spent 4 years in Australia while his father was employed by Halvorsen cruisers. Both Ro and I were involved with Halvorsen  when our families separately hired their  curisers about the time our new acquaintence was in Australia in the early 1960s.
We ask about things to see in Oslo but we have chosen the wrong person. He hates cities. Oslo he ranks between Stockholm and Copenhagen, with Copenhagen the worst. Not much help there.
Returning to the van, we read before sleeping. The astronauts probably wave as our lights are turned off.

Saturday 25th July 2015 Moss Norway

It is 9.30 before we get up. The sky is overcast and it looks like it will not be very warm today. Despite the poor weather, after fiddling about until lunch, we decide to stay today and drive to Oslo , about one hour away, tomorrow.
Last night I had checked the brakes and they are fine. Some more work on lights and a bit of sticking here and there together with reading occupies a fair slice of the day.
Late afternoon we walk along the foreshore, a narrow, rocky beach which rises up to  steep embankments. We walk a short distance before returning to access wifi on the campsite.
A little later we are listening to music  in our motorhome which we have brought this year on our phones. The urge to dance overtakes us. Space is rather limited so boot scooting is out. Tango is a possibility but only for two steps. Perhapse a close coupled walz. We toy with the idea of removing the table to provide an annex but settle for the 2.5 metre by 500mm ball room we have at our disposal.  It is amazing what accomplished dancers can achieve in limited space.
The sauna is operating at 6 so by 6.45 I can get some welcome heat. It has been lightly raining for a few hours and is likely to continue. Chances are it would not have been a good day in Oslo and we hope tomorrow will be better.
We have located a few attractions we want to see in Oslo; among them a trip on the Oslo fjord. The ones on the west coast are better but we don't want to drive that far. Our intent is to spend a few days in Oslo then maybe drive a little higher before returning to some warmer weather down south.

Sunday 26th July 2015 Moss Norway

Our plans for an early start are foiled for two reasons:  one, we don't wake up early and, two, it has been raining steadily all night and is still raining heavily. Before leaving we need to fill water and dump waste. The latter involves scrabbling under the van with the transfer tank and significant rainfall discourages that. Instead we have a leisurely breakfast hoping that the rain will lessen.
It does by 10.30am so I venture out to begin the tasks. Ro collects some wild raspberries and red currants growing nearby while I fill the tank with water.  Now to drive to the waste dump. The engine groans but will not start; courtesy of my grinding activity yesterday. Our grinder is 500 watt and the inverter takes 42 amps from the starter battery to run the grinder. As the battery seems to be  on the way out, no go today. Fortunately the house battery is full of herbs  due to our new LED lights so jumper leads between the two solve our problem. Later it transpires that the engine battery earth terminal has a  poor connection so the jumper leads are packed away for good.
By 11.30 we are on the road to Oslo. As we get closer, more rain suggests our stay will be wet.
I had seen on the net a camp site on the waterfront a la Stockholm but I don't have a   grid reference. Instead I have looked up Marinas as a Point of Interest and I set Thomasina to one closest to Oslo. How many marinas can there be? The answer turns out to  be dozens and dozens! Oslo must have the highest per capita ownership of pleasure craft in the world. In our short drive we see thousands of boats. Views across the water are almost obscured by yacht masts and that ignores the same number of boats without masts.   I set a few points in the G.P.S. along the waterfront but no motorhome parking spots are evident and the number of boats just keeps soaring.
We have set three museums and the opera house as things we want to see. We drive past all of them just looking for our campsite. We decide to visit one this afternoon but parking is diabolically difficult and expensive. There is one park which suggests we can stay overnight but that will cost us  around $70 in parking fees!! And the rain continues.
On top of the parking problem, the roads are spaghetti and tunnels abound. Thomasina makes a good effort to guide us without GPS signals but the result is some wrong turns and a bit of stress.
Overall, we decide to quit Oslo. Due to detours, wrong turns, failed expeditions and the like we have seen quite a bit of Oslo and close suburbs and we think that our friend from the last campsite could well have placed Oslo behind Copenhagen and Stockholm and we would not have disagreed. The weather is still wet and there is no promise of improvement. We will head back toward what we hope will be sunny France.
Setting Thomasina to take a path down the coast to Denmark, we farewell Oslo.
By 8 we are ready to stop and find a roadside rest point which is well obscured from the motorway. After dinner we go for a short walk where we find wild raspberries to pick and eat for breakfast  and a  very wombleable hand trolley which will save my back when carting the waste tank to far flung dung dump points. All the current cassette toilets have wheels so I can now join the throngs.

Monday 27th July 2015 E6 Roadside Stop Sweden 

We wake at our usual 9am. We are getting quite lazy. A quick breakfast, a walk to pick raspberries and we are ready for a day of dashing along motorways.
But first I need to check some of the engines vital signs. One is oil and that is OK. Another is water and that looks OK until I look inside the reservoir. What looks like full fluid is actually a brown stain. The fluid is low. Fortunately I have some glycol inside from last year. Retrieving the 5 litre bottle from the storage area, I am just about to pour some in when i notice a photo of wiper blade on the bottle. Everything is in French so my assumption when I bought it that it was antifreeze may be in question. After a bit of investigation we realise the container is washer topup, the same green colour as glycol. Our vehicle has been cooled by windscreen wash for the last year.  Better get some glycol when we can. Meanwhile we can have a clean window albeit with an overhot engine.
We have set Thomsaina to Lubeck but expect to stay in  Denmark tonight. Most of the day is spent on motorways where I pit my wits against inertia, hills and fast approaching cars. Despite having to lean forward to improve performance on hills, the experience is quite enjoyable because motorways work like symphonies. All due to the requirement to pass only on the left. If only we required that in Australia; but only on the right.
By evening we are about 40 km from Odense in Denmark. Tomorrow we will reach Lubeck but will request Thomasina not to use motorways so we can see more of rural Denmark.

Tuesday 28th July 2015 40KM west of Odense Denmark

A truck idling at 6.30am is our alarm clock. In Sweden, Norway and Denmark there is a pollution requirement that engines idle for no more than 1 minute. The driver seems unaware of that.
As we unlikely to get back to sleep, we pack up our bedding, have some fruit and start our drive. We will stop along the way for breakfast.
Scandinavia will have a special place in our hearts. Never before have we had so much rain. The rain theme continues with driving rain as we fly along the motorway. Our plan to use rural roads is thwarted when Thomasina proclaims that a route without motorways does not exist. Looking at the zoomed maps of the area, there certainly are not many to choose from.
As we enter Germany, we select non motorways as there are many more roads. The journey distance is the same but instead of 1 hour it will take 1.5 hours. Being sick of motorways, we opt for that.
It is still raining heavily and some of the roads are narrow and winding. Although they have speed limits of 100kph, 60 is about the maximum safe speed and lower on some sections. We hope a tractor does not come toward us.
By 1.30 our motorhome campsite is in sight. It is convenient but not very attractive. The rain has eased so I remove the bikes but it rains again so we wait for another break. After riding toward where we think the old town is, I ask a man up a ladder if he speaks english and he answers 'a little', the standard reply. I ask 'where is the old town'. He looks puzzled. I try "wo is der alte Stadt?'. He looks more puzzled then says "This is it". 1750 on the building opposite and he calls this the old town?  As it happens 1750 is fairly new as we see buildings from 1500s nearby.
We lock up the bikes and walk around looking at gargantuan churches, not one but several, and buildings from various periods  build on winding cobbled streets. All this while periodically sheltering from rain squalls.
Finally about 4.30 the sun peeks through and blue skys replace the dark gray ones. By this time we have walked back the two or three  kilometers to our bikes and we cycle back to the van for a cup of tea.
If the rain stays away we might cycle a little more after dinner......
There`s a break in the raindrops so we venture out for a walk along the river nearby, only to have it curtailed by more rain. We watch a movie on the computer. Our friends, Margaret and Allan recorded four movies on a DVD and I had purchased a DVD player in Melbourne for the computer. With an unusual amount of forethought I tested it in Melbourne and discovered that Windows 8, along with all its other shortcomings, has no native DVD playing software, unlike previous versions. I had downloaded a player so we are already to go,
I plug in our sound system, close the front curtains and we settle in to our viewing chairs. The sound system is quite good and bassy parts of the movie shake the seats we are on. With the curtains it is like we are in an old fashioned theatre. The Full Wide Screen image  format enhances the effect. Unfortunately the whole experience is let down by the  postage stamp sized screen on our tiny laptop. But we enjoy the movie, "Johnny English Reborn" with Rowan Atkinson.

Wednesday 29th July 2015 Lubeck Germany.

A big day ahead. We want to cover the 750km to Offenburg today so we need to leave early. Unfortunately we don't. It is 9.30 before we get out of Lubeck.
Our exit is not helped by a closed motorway entry which Thomasina wants us to take. We drive on, resisting her attempts to do a U turn. We know that the motorway entry is closed so no use doing a U turn. We are going in the right direction and sooner or later she will realise that. After 10 km or so, we succumb to her efforts to change our direction. We are lead back on to the motorway and head back. We were going the wrong way.
The day is spent in the usual motorway waltz. In Germany, the waltz is even more choreographed than in Scandinavia. The open limits add an extra dimension as cars pass us at 60kph even when we are doing 110kmh.
The rain has not stopped. We go from sunny to driving rain two or three times. Each two hours we have a break and a walk around between showers. Althought the scheduled trip is 7 1/2 hours, with breaks it takes more like 9 1/2 and we eventually stop around 7.45 at a parking spot 50 km from Offenburg.
There is a pyramidal church which looks interesting so we walk around it before dinner. I am rather tired from the day's driving so am not up to much of a walk. One circuit is enough. By 10pm I am ready to sleep so we have showers and turn in.

Thursday 30th July 2015 50 km South of Offenburg Germany.

The rain seems to have passed. After looking inside the  modern church with interesting chunky stained glass walls We get going by  9 with Offenburg only 50 km away. We want to visit Adi, our German mechanic to have lunch with him and change the oil;  independent activities I should point out.
In 2011 we were lucky enough to have our timing belt break and be delivered to Adi by tow truck, having spent our first wild camp in a tow truck yard.  We were there for 6 days while parts were ordered and delivered and established a good friendship with him.
In 2012 we visited again to cut out and replace the rear flooring of the van. At that time we suggested he and his wife, whom we had met that year,  visit us in Australia but that had not come to pass.
By 10 we are parked in his yard and walk into his workshop. After a few seconds of non recognition, we warmly welcomes us after three years. We approach the subject of his not having visited us. It is his wife's birthday tomorrow and he is looking for a present. Maybe a visit to Australia. But we will need to convince her.
On the previous visits we had joined him and his brother for lunch in a cafeteria which is subsidised by a company but which allows others to use the facilities. We are due to have lunch with him at 12.30 and he has asked his wife to join us. His brother is elsewhere.
There is just enough time to do some shopping at Lidl which is only 150 metre away. By 12.30 we are ready to go to lunch.
As we enter the building, there is an altercation between a cyclist and a van driver. They look like they will go hammer and tongs unless someone steps in. I consider being that someone but the language barrier prevents me. Instead Adi steps in and the altercation is resolved. Adi explains that this is abnormal and in the 20 years he has been coming here for lunch, this is the first time he has witnessed anything like that. We are pleased about that.
During lunch, we firm up the Australia trip proposal. We get along well with Anna which helps her warm to the idea, despite the halting English and German.  It is a good thing that we had not mentioned the 26 hour travel time because by the time she realises that, she is hooked (we hope). Next year August and beginning of September they will spend 3 weeks with us.
Returning to the workshop, Adi replaces our oil and inspects the brakes while Anna takes us to find some replacement carpet as the current one is a bit worse for wear, especially since I spilt 2 litres of motor oil on it from the side locker a year or two ago.
We had intended moving on this afternoon, but the brakes are kaput. We need new pads and rotors which Adi can get for tomorrow morning and fit tomorrow. At the same time he will balance the front wheels which cause a huge vibration above 100 kph. On motorways we can get up to 120kph but the wobble is quite unpleasant.
Adi and Anna want to take us up to a nearby Schloss for dinner. It is a 12th century castle with the odd renno over the years.  It is in a major wine growing area and is high on a hill overlooking Strassbourg across the French border. Although it is a pleasant evening with no sign of rain, it is a bit cold. We have 4 plates which are like thin pizzas. Two vegetarian, one bacon and one salmon.
As we return to Offenburg, they take us to look at a hotel which was converted from an opulent house built mid last century. Although we see the gardens illuminated by lights. they look beautiful.
Returning to  our home, we settle in for a night inside the workshop. We have spent more time in this workshop and yard over the years than any single other place so we are very familiar with it. We have a very warm and quiet sleep.

Friday 31th July 2015  Offenburg Germany

Awaking at 7.30, we arise to the tap tap tap of work in the workshop. Adi started at 7.
We go riding while Adi fits new pads and rotors. The brake fluid is also very sus so he changes that also. He is like the renowned German tradesman: he can be relied on to perfectly carry out the minimum required to get the maximum result. We are always confident  that the job will be done perfectly.
On returning we are informed that the brake fluid needed replacement so he has done that too. By 12.20 all is finished and we are ready to leave. We feel a bit guilty about not having lunch with him again but explain that we need to be in Charroux and that is 750 km away. He understands. We will have a number of lunches and dinners next year in August, maybe.
We take to the motorways hoping to cover 300 km or so this afternoon. On the German motorways we cover  kilometers quickly before crossing into France. The motorways in France are less developed and the drivers less regimented. Furthermore, in France  before long the motorways devolve into single lane country roads rated at 90kph at best and with numerous villages where the limit is 50kph. Our rate of progress decreases dramatically. We are amazed how long it takes to cover a few hundred kilometers.
Our aim is to get to 399 km from Charroux but by 8pm  we are still 440 km from Charroux. There is a  wide parking area which will do for overnighting. There is a snack van some way from us and we hope that will not cause noise until late into the night. There is also a transport depot and we hope they are not a 24 hour operation. Being a Friday night, we are lucky and it is a quiet evening and overnight.

Saturday 1st August 2015  440 km from Charroux, France.

We leave by 8.30am and enjoy the leisurely drive through the French countryside. We love the French villages which despite or perhaps because of their  unkempt appearance  exude character. The age of the buildings is apparent  and there are many ruins. This contrasts with Germany where buildings may be of similar age but their upkeep is at a far higher level and the undoubted character of Germany is quite different from that of France. But we also love German villages.
The day drags on and  eventually we reach Charroux  about 5.30.  Despite 1.5 hours of breaks and rests along the way, it has been a long day`s drive to cover a short distance. That seems to be the way in Europe.
Mavis and Terry are out. The poor  internet access we have had together with a lack of internet at their house,  Le Bois d' Amour (the wood of love), has meant we have not announced our arrival although we had earlier suggested approximate dates. The up side is that we have not disrupted their plans.
John and Carol whom we met on previous trips may know where they are. We drive down to their house to discover they have moved to a house a few hundred meters from Mavis and Terry. Their daughter who now lives in their old house  describes how to get there so we return, park the van at Le Bois and walk to find John and Carol.
The directions prove to be less than straightforward. The house next to the Swiss style villa has a silver Peugeot but is just a broken down timber garage, not a house. The house next to that is occupied by an elderly lady who speaks only French and  at machine gun speed. She does mention 'derriere' which is the key to it all. But I assume she is just being French.
Some time later we discover that the garage in this street is attached to the house around the corner  in the street at right angles and that is John and Carol's house. Property laws in France reflect the ancient borders set up centuries ago. If you buy a house here, you may find attached to it is a paddock in the middle of another person's holding. That's where helicopters come in.
Abandoning our attempt to locate Mavis and Terry, we set up camp in their yard. What a nice surprise it will be for them to return home and find Australian gypsies encamped. As it happens, we have had dinner, showered and gone to bed before they return from a dinner.

Sunday 2nd August 2015  Charroux France.

We have breakfast in the van, not knowing when Mavis and Terry arise, before joining them for coffee and tea.
They have to go out later  which suits us as we have a few chores to do, including several loads of washing and fitting of some new carpet. Mavis and Terry have invited us for dinner when they return about 5.30.
Our chores progress nicely with a little time to sit in the very warm sun. This is what we have been waiting for after the rather cool weather of Scandinavia. I had cut the new carpet which we bought in Germany when we were at Adi's and am relieved to find it fits properly, with the minor problem that it is a bit short near the cab. Fortunately the joiner from the old carpet will correct that. The finished effect is very pleasing. In the shop it looked a bit bright but in place it is just right and matched our water container which we brought from Melbourne.
When Mavis and Terry and their 3 dogs return, we arrange to meet them for a drink before dinner. I have some wine from Australia purchased at Lidl which I warn may be better as bath cleaner. After tasting the dubious drop, I intend doing the Australian wine indusrtry a service by crossing out Australia when ever I see the wine for sale. Notwithstanding those comments, the bath did not benefit from the wine although I did not see what Mavis did with the bit left in the bottle.
As it happens, Terry and Mavis join us for dinner but their plates remain empty. Their lunch turned out to be a 5 course meal and they are replete. Still, we enjoy the evening and finish it off with a walk to the local cemetery with the dogs where we see a dramatic evening sky. Red sky at night is a sailors delight. Hopefully that will be true tomorrow.
Monday 3rd August 2015  Charroux France.
Again we eat "le petit dejeuner" in the van and join Mavis and Terry for coffee and tea. A little later John turns up and we have an enjoyable morning tea entertained by his Yorkshire accent and humour.
Morning tea drifts into a light lunch. The day is very hot. Although Mavis's thermometer shows 50 degrees C, we think that  the ambient is high 30s. The gite is cooler so Ro spends time reading there.
We need to visit Civray and the insurance agent to pay this year's premium. It is 535 euro. Next is a little shopping. We have had some difficulty finding out if alchohol testers must be carried. In our first year we were told we needed them but then we were told the law had not been passed. In our second year we were told they were mandatory so we bought some from a pharmacy. As the original ones were past their use by date, we assumed we needed more this year. However enquiries at two pharmacies and two supermarkets left us confused as to whether we needed them and in each case they didn't have them anyway. The agent said we did so we asked at another pharmacy who didn't have them, a tobbacconist who the pharmacy said may have them but who didn't  and finally a supermarket which did have them in the auto accessories section. The attendant did not consider we needed them. With such confusion, it seems a bit unlikely the police would enforce it but we are now safe.
We had a delicious dinner with Mavis and Terry before another walk around the cemetery with the dogs. This time, though, we dropped in on John and Carol to have an after dinner drink. We discussed, among other things, the likelihood of rain this evening. John assured us it was due to start at midnight but his assurance was cut short by huge drops of rain at roughly 10pm. We hurredly said goodbye as we had to rush back to close the roof vents on our motorhome.  After a half kilometer run, we were quite wet. The rain stopped just after we closed the vents. Some minutes later Mavis and Terry arrived considerably wetter than us, although why  was not clear as the rain had stopped just after we arrived.
Overnight it poured with much thunder and lightening. We were safe and snug in our Escargot de Wheels so it did not bother us.

Tuesday 4th August 2015  Charroux France.

Mavis has asked us to lunch with some English friends. We will pack up and be ready to move on after lunch.
Meanwhile, Terry wants to remove a tree and place the branches on a trailer. I am happy to help with that and promise to show him my special method of getting 4 or 5 times the normal amount on the trailer. It involves pulling the load down with load binders while more load is piled on and another load binder fitted. Then the buried load binder is released and used to pull down the next layer. The problem is there is only one load binder and no rope. Zounds! So we do it the tried and true way with multiple trips to the tip.
The lunch visitors are an ex- vice squad policeman and his wife, now expats living in France. We have an interesting discussion over lunch, then by 3pm were ready to leave. Just before we leave, Mavis offers us books from her stack of read ones. We have quite a stash also so swap ten or fifteen before we depart Charroux.
We are due to meet our friends Allan and Janice a bit further down south on Sunday so we have a few days to kill. There is a camp site on the way to  where we will meet A & J so we will stay there tonight and maybe a few more days if it is a nice place. The temperature is expected to increase so the pool there will be welcome.
By 6.30 we arrive and select a  spot under shade. It is a nice campsite in a quiet farming area. This will do us for a day or two.

Wednesday 5th August 2015  Rouffignac, France.

The campsite is owned by a Dutch couple and most campers are Dutch. Because English is widely known by the Dutch, we feel more connected than with French speakers who generally speak less English, or are less inclined to do so.
It is a day of relaxation in the shade and in the pool as the temperature reaches the mid 30s. The warm day is perfect for washing the Escargot and the bikes and me.  Unfortunately the process makes the van and bikes cleaner but me dirtier. Diesel makes a fine soot which gets everywhere and does not wash off easily.
It is a good day for reading between cooling off in the pool. As the day cools later in the evening we go for a walk through some bush along shaded  pathways. The quiet and peaceful countryside is seductive. Maybe one year we will  visit the Dordogne area for most of our time. The temperature is lovely, the villages, it is claimed, are some of the most beautiful in France  and the scenery is lovely. It is a nice area to visit.

Thursday 6th August 2015  Rouffignac France.

More of the same. Which is not any hardship.
In order not to be a complete layabout, I tackle the van's wiring. The pump has chosen not to turn off as it should so I investigate the cause. When the van is plugged into mains or into the inverter, the pump has full voltage and turns off as it should. However under house battery, it doesn't. Somewhere between the battery and the pump there is a voltage drop. There is a control box hidden below the sink which I have inspected a few times but have chickened out of tracing the wiring which over years had been tinkered with and altered without any wiring diagrams. I start  drawing the circuit. The result looks more like modern art than a functional circuit. Picasso would have been envious.
Finally I have what may be an approximation to the control box but I still don't have the destination of the incoming multipin plugs. Next warm day maybe. Reassembling the control box, we still need to turn the pump off at the main switch whenever we use the tap but otherwise we are not excessively inconvenienced. I think a rewire is inevitable. But not today. Back to reading relaxing and swimming.
We are due to meet Allan and Janice Sunday about 1 1/2 hours from here but we are enjoying this campsite we will probably stay here until then.

Friday 7th August 2015  Rouffignac France.

Our supplies are getting low and we are ready to gently return to the tourist trail. A pamphlet we have restates the assertion that  France`s most beautiful villages are in this area, but then again all pamphlets are full of superlatives. The camp manageress, who is a lovely lady, suggests we visit Limeuil, a medieval town about 25 km away. On the way we can pass by a Lidl which is convenient.
It is still hot but the trip to Limeuil is along narrow tree lined roads and is a beautiful drive. As always, on narrow winding roads every corner has a potential surprise coming the other way so concentration levels need to be high. Small cars don't pose any problem; SUVs and small trucks just require a moving well to the outer edge of the road; car carriers full of cars travelling at too high a speed are another matter. Around one corner we come across one of these. Unfortunately we are on the outer side and the road , after a small embankment, drops down a fairly steep slope. Each vehicle hugs the edge and we pass at 80kmh without incident. Which is good as any contact could have spoilt our day.
We reach Limouel about 1.30 and have lunch in the van with a cool offwater breeze blowing through the van. It is our usual French lunch of bagette and salads. One of my fondest memories of France is the bagettes which vary a bit but which are usually delicious. I love the hard crusts despite the slight jaw ache which accompanies eating them.
We cycle the half kilometer to the village which is medieval and built at the junction of two rivers on which canoeing is very popular. A road passes between the village and the river and two bridges, some hundreds of years old, cross the rivers at right angles. In the village the access is via steep winding alleyways similar to those we have seen in Croatia. We climb up probably 15 metres through the village but the temperature dissuades us from the further climb of 20 or 25 metres.  It would be living well removed from what we are used to,
Descending again, we visit a garden outside the Mairie, or Mayor's house, where we sit under a cool vine observing the canooing, swimming and wading activity on the river. There is a small glass blowing factory with wares displayed but the 1200 degree C furnace and the hot day make browsing the wares less than comfortable.
 Cycling back to the van, we retrace our path back to our campsite and enjoy a cool swim. The pool is an above ground one consisting of a large rectangular doughnut which is filled with water. This forms the walls for the pool in the middle. The doughnut walls are about 1 meter in diameter enclosing a pool of 20 metre by 6 metre. The water laps about 150 mm below the top of the doughnut but surprisingly not much water splashes out as people swim. The edges are very nice to lie on; not unlike a giant waterbed.
After dinner we have another swim in the half light but by now the air is cool and the water not quite warm enough to stay in for long.  We shower as we return to the van for the night.

Saturday 8th August 2015  Rouffignac France.

Overnight it rains steadily with the odd clap of thunder and bolt of lightening. By morning the rain has diminished to drizzle which manifests as heavy drops from the oak trees under which we are camped.
We have decided to move on today partially because the camp does not accept cards  and our stash of euros is just enough to cover the last four nights. We wait around until lunch time hoping the rain will stop and finishing books we are reading. The rain does not stop so we leave after a long chat with the Dutch camp owners with whom we strike a chord.
The road is the same one we traversed yesterday but without the semi trailer, for which we are thankful. As we reach a turnoff we note a sign to Sarlat, the town we omitted yesterday, so decide to travel via there. As we approach, there are queues of cars in the light drizzle. We have driven through some very pretty villages and this one is likewise if somewhat bigger. As we drive through we see little point in parking  and getting wet so continue on to our destination, about 40km away.
The verdant, picturesque area is full of interest with buildings hugging rock faces,some built into the rocks and old railbridges towering above. Once again, we are reminded of  the dryness of Australian continent.
About 4 we stop by a river designated as 'la Plage', the beach. It is not very attractive with derelict buildings and a non derelict, and loudly operating, pump. We had considered staying overnight here but rapidly change our minds.
Half an hour later we see a promising track off the main road. Investigating, it is perfect. A bit isolated from the road , nice and flat and with surrounding trees across a grassed plain.
It is still raining and intensifying. I spend some time tracing wiring as the pump is annoying us while Ro reads a bit. Then we reverse roles as I read and Ro cooks dinner of vegetables and salmon, which we always enjoy.
While we eat dinner we listen to Don Burrows then Norah Jones. Sitting in France, listening to enjoyable music with the rain pattering on the roof while we eat dinner ain't half bad.

Sunday 9th August 2015 near Pecestier France.

The pattering increases to a minor torrent which continues until early in the morning. The quiet night we had hoped for did not anticipate the noise of the rain. Ro wonders if we are going to float away.
A somewhat disturbed sleep means we are not away early. With the drizzle and wet underfoot, bed seems as good a place as any so it is 10.30 before we leave our  campsite for the 30 minute drive to our final campsite where we will meet Allan and Janice. They swore last time that they would not holiday in England again because of rainy weather in summer. Looks like they struck out again in "sunny" south France.
We arrive at our camp site after the usual wrong GPS cordinates which sees us traipsing back and forth along a wet windy road until we abandon Thomasina and use the rather inspired method of reading the signposts which are atypically liberally provided.
It is still raining when we arrive and after registering, we encamp while the rain continues.
We are near Allan and Janice so we don raincoats and raise umbrellas and seek them out in their cosy hut. It is getting near lunchtime so they invite us to have open sandwiches with them.  By 3pm the rain has stopped and we venture out to investigate the campsite which is quite extensive.
Despite the rain, the air temperature is not cold so when I come across the water slides which are now operating, I must try them out. There are a few tricks to not getting excessive amounts of water up the nose so my first few slides involve some spluttering until I master the technique.
The slide closes at 6.30 so we join Allan and Janice at the restaurant for  dinner. I have steak which comes with salad and chips. Janice requests vegetables on my behalf but something is lost in translation when I get steak sans legumes sans salade. Reminiscent of our Belgium meal some years ago which was chips chips and more chips with a little veal as an afterthought.
Returning to our Escargot de Wheels, we have chocolate cups before parting then going to bed about  11.
Our campsite is very enjoyable. All we need is a bit of sunshine.

Monday 10th August 2015 Paulhiac South France.

Sunshine struggles  through the clouds and finally, by 10.30, the sky is blue. We spend a day by the pool, watersliding  and reading. Janice is reluctant to try the slide and by the end of the day has amassed reasons for avoiding it. Between our minor drownings, slide friction burns, sore feet from the stone path leading to the tower and some sore muscles, she has a multitude of reasons not to partake. But we continue despite the war wounds enjoying the 10 seconds of exhiloration on the serpentine slide and the 2 seconds on the straight slide.
The day is hot and we enjoy a day of swimming, reading and relaxing. In between those pleasant passtimes, I use a bit of time to continue tracing  wiring in the van. The wiring diagram is still a mystery and we still have the unexplained voltage drop across the pump. It takes some time with seemingly little progress but it makes the visits to the pool and waterslide all the more enjoyable.
We provide lunch of bagette and pain au raisin which we eat at A & J's chalet as they have an outdoor table and it is too hot to be sitting in our Escargot.
We have been invited to Allan and Janice's for dinner and drinks before so around 7 we walk the 150 metres to their cabin, the last 50 metres of which is quite steep. They have cooked a steak dinner  which is very nice.

Tuesday 11th August 2015 Paulhiac South France.

Another hot day sees us spending more time by the pool. However by late morning A & J have suggested we visit one of the villages nearby. They have a 6  month old Jaguar Estate, stationwagon like, which is a nice way to zip around the country roads to Monflaquin. Zip around may be an exaggeration as the narrowness keeps one alert for oncoming vehicles which we must squeeze by. It would be very nice to drive the car on a German autobahn, although who knows, I may not notice the difference between the Jag and the Escargot.
Monflaquin is a medieval town considered to be one of the best in the region. We park the car and walk up cobbled roads lined by buildings oozing the charm we have come to anticipate. Despite that anticipation, we don't tire of it. The textures and lack of small scale symmetry make every view a treat.
Walking up to the town square we find a lot of greenery contained within the surrounding cloisters some of which have vaulted ceilings and others old exposed timber beams. There is a crepery on one corner and we have buckwheat crepes filled with cheese and ham at a very reasonable price.
Returning to our camp about 3.30 we resume our tasks of swimming, sliding and reading until, exhausted after the effort, we have a dinner of vegetables in the warm evening.  

Wednesday 12th August 2015 Paulhiac South France.

Activities which are provided by the camp are termed 'Animations'  in France. This morning we have been promised classical music in the bar at 10.30. As we walk toward the bar, we realise the music eminates from large speakers around the pool. Before lunch, the pool is usually not busy so we get some lounge chairs in prime position  with respect to the speakers. The volume us such that the whole pool area is flooded with music  not much of which we regard as classical but pleasant none the less. There are some highlights which including  a beautiful piece sung by a soprano, Arioso by Bach and Bolero. We enjoy one and a half hours in the open under a pleasantly warm sun shining through an overcast sky.
Because of the overcast sky, A & J suggest we visit another village called Biron. By the time we are in the car, the  day is hotter than yesterday. The drive to the village takes 10 minutes but we spend 20 minutes trying to find the decimal point in the Jag's GPS in order to get there. Great time savers are GPSs.
The village services a castle which we explore. It is very big with many areas  renovated over the past few hundred years for accommodation. There is extensive panelling from 17th century which is in good condition having been restored since the castle passed from private hands to the state in the late 1900s. Most rooms are huge.In particular there are two massive function rooms which must have been 30 by 20 metres  with 8 metre ceilings. The heating bill would not have been small.  We climb up numerous wide stone spiral staircases, explore balconies, visit attic rooms which are also huge and expose the roof beams, all connected by timber shear pins. Rarely does one get as close to this to the building techniques of medieval times.
It is close to 3 oclock when we seek a spot to eat. There is a small shop which offers lunch along with various grocery items. Our lunch is excellent value; a drink from the fridge, a plate of chease, two meats, tomato, cucumber and bagette, followed by a boule,(scoop) of icecream and all for 8 euros per person. I must look a bit undernourished because the proprietoresse offers me two scoops, which I readily accept.
Returning to our camp, we  swim and read until late afternoon when we return to A & J's chalet for  dinner. It is the warmest evening and we enjoy, apart from invisible biting insects(reminds us fo the midges in Scotland), sitting outside until 10.30 when there is a kareoke session at the bar. Melodious? sounds issue forth as we approach and continue for the hour we watch. There is a bit of dancing to entertain also. By 11.30 we leave and return to our sleeping accommodation. It is still quite warm but there is rain forcast.  During the night we are presented with a fine display of lightening and heavy rain, which continues to the morning.  

Thursday 13th August 2015  Paulhiac South France.

Our departure time we had decided would be determined by the weather. Because we were awake during the night due to heavy rain and thunder, we get up rather late. It is still raining so we will leave ASAP. We have 850 km to cover  today and tomorrow to get the van back to Beaurainville. Our aim is to get as much covered today as possible.
We can choose Fastest route which takes us on tollways and will take 9 hours. Alternatively we can choose Avoid Motorways and this will take 14 hours. There is an intermediate route which will take 12 hours and uses some motorways and some rural roads. That is our option.
We leave by 10.30 after farewelling A & J. The roads we are taken on are sometimes very narrow but always enjoyable. The Dordogne region is very attractive and the villages enchanting.  It is about 1pm before we reach our first motorway. A wrong turn, which we blame on Thomasina, takes us a short way on a tollway for which we have to pay. We don't know how much because the travel money card is swallowed, a loud belch eminates from the machine and the card is returned with no indication of how much has been purloined. The belch probably said it all.
Having paid a toll when we rejected a route involving tolls, we now find ourselves passing a village we passed a short time ago. Reminscent of 2011 when we passed the same point 3 times over some hours. For whatever reason we manage to get back on the beaten path and continue driving throughout the afternoon until we reach a point at 8pm when we want to stop irrespective of where we are.
Our path takes us close to Paris which a few years ago resulted in our being stuck in a major traffic jam. We had intended getting past Paris tonight to avoid that problem but tiredness has overcome us. Instead we will get up at 4.30am to join the rush to beat the rush.   

Friday 14th August 2015  France.

We are both awake at 1.30 am so discuss leaving then. The thought is not appealing so we try to go back to sleep until 4.30. We manage 4.10 then get up and prepare to leave.
We will have breakfast along the way so we are on the road before 4.30. It is still dark which makes driving not so easy. We have 360 km to cover and the kilometers seem to drag by. It is around 6am that we start to  encounter the motorway spaghetti of Paris which we are expecting. The idea that we would miss the traffic jams is correct but there is still plenty of traffic attacking from various angles, including a multitude of trucks. The number of vehicles making up the rush to beat the rush is large.
Motorways in Europe branch and exit and divide at a rapid rate and one must be set up well in advance and cope with vehicles adjusting their position prior to the  feature. This is done close to the motorway speed of 110 or 120 kph. Thomasina gives us good warning mostly and we are thankful that we are not having to use maps. Unfortunately the whole exercise is done in dawn lighting which seems to go on for ever.
By 6.45 we are exiting the city environs and the motorways give way to more rural scenes. There is a large parking area where we have breakfast  next to a fun park which, obviously,  is closed now so we can take our time. Despite that, we are keen to get to tonight's campsite about 1 3/4 hours from Beaurainville. We will prepare the van there and leave for Beaurainville tomorrow about lunch time. We need to get the train to CDG at 5.30pm.
By 1pm we have arrived ready for some lunch. We might get in some reading in the sun this afternoon  if the rain holds off. Unfortunately the overcast skys remain overcast with equal quantities of sun and rain, neither fully declaring themselves.
I am determined to fix a few faults before we depart. One window has broken struts and a day or two ago a fix presented itself to me in some moment of enlightenment. At this camp site we have mains power so I can use the grinder without compromising starting the motorhome. Soon the window is fixed although the longevity of the fix remains to be seen. Next is the pump which has been driving me insane, admittedly a short journey. Using an extension lead which I have canabilised in previous years,  I check where the voltage drop is occurring and discover it is at a fuse next to the battery, A bit of judicious sanding and the pump is working. I can go home contented.
By 5 we decide a bit of packing is in order. Lidl has had 60cm masonary bits on special and obviously they cannot pass unpurchased. The first Lidl sold out in a matter of hours, confirming the need to purchase. A second Lidl, which we happen to visit at opening time due to our 4.30 am start, has a set. They are only 3.5 kg so if I leave half my clothes here I can take them home. I wont try them in cabin baggage because the incidents of pilots being threatened with 60 cm masonary drills are legend. I wouldn't get them past the boarding gate unless a dedicated DIY stewardess was on duty.
By 7 we are ready for dinner of leftovers. This, as it happens, is vegetables and salmon which we enjoy at the best of times. I have been watching the gas since our close call when we arrived when we ran out of gas jast after dinner and showers. The gauge says the tank is 70% full. The just cooked dinner says otherwise. The tank is empty.  No problem this year but we need to find where we can get gas for next year.
By 9pm we are ready to turn in for an early night  before our probably sleepless flight home. Now that the sun has given up for the day, the rain siezes its opportunity to make its presence known. Tomorrow is forcast to be clear which suits us as we may need to walk to the station. If it gets some rain out of its system tonight, that will  make life easy tomorrow.

Saturday 15th August 2015  France.

There is plenty of rain during the night  but it lessens by morning .  My first job is to empty the waste tanks and thoroughily rinse them for wintering. Once they are reasonably clean, a bit of water and bleach will leave them fresh for next year. Our 100km drive to Beaurainville will slosh the bleach about to complete the job.
The drive to Beaurainville is 103 km and will take us 1hour 45 minutes, which seems like an inordinately long time. The main reason is the plentiful villages with speed limits of 30 or 50kph Between villages the limit is 90kph but those stretches may only be 500 metres. Speed limits for French villages are often not posted as the village name and a cross through the name on exiting are pseudo 50kmh limits. Unfortunately yesterday I missed a village sign and  may have passed through a speed camera at 80 instead of 50. Hopefully not. Thomasina is invaluable in alerting me to the current speed limit and if I am over it. Although it is illegal in France, she could also alert me to known speed cameras. Why it is illegal is a mystery because there are signs warning when there is a camera.
Arriving at Beaurainville by 2pm, we are greeted by Jaqui and Steve, who are just going out. They understood our train was at 2.45 so were getting anxious for us. Se pay our 250 euro for next year's board then go to the river to use up so,e time before our train at 6.30.
Today is a bank holiday and there are activities everywhere. By the river there is a canoe clubhouse and there are dozens milling around to launch their canoes into the fast running stream. There is a slalom course throught the clear water and some proficient kayakers are improving their skills on the rapids. There is a walking track passing by the river so we get  good viewing points.
By 4 we return to the Longhouse where we spread mattresses and bedding in the back of the van for airing in our absence before removing battery terminals and locking up for the year.
It takes 25 minutes to walk to the ststion along narrow or non existent footpaths. The roads have been blocked off and stall holders have set up bric a brack stalls selling mostly junk. That allows us to wheel our bags, 20 kg each, on the road which is easier than on the questionable footpaths. The wheels are ribbed and make quite a roaring on the road which ensures many glances but a clear path.
We are at the train one hour before departure and will have a 50 minute wait at Arras. The RER trip to Arras is uneventfull and rather slower than the TGV trip from Arras to CDG. The speed of the TVG is brought home when we travel next to motorways with cars travelling between 110 and 130 kph. The TVG flashes past at probably in excess of 180 kph.
At CDG we dash up to Air France checkin but are diverted to the automatic boarding pass printers. After doing battle with the machine, we are allocated seats 2 rows apart. It can be corrected at the baggage  check but to get to that check, we have to queue for 15 minutes. The operator says the plane is "full up to pussies bow" or the French equivalent. "C'est impossible". So we stick with our separate seats. As the plane taxies away from the terminal, lo and behold, the seat next to me is empty!!! So after takeoff, Ro joins me.
It is a 12 hour flight which we don't look forward to very much. I choose to watch "Gravity" starring Sandra Bullock. The graphics are billed as wonderful and I would agree. But the technical wizzardry does not stop there. In the story, debris from a space station explosion threatens to destroy the space station Sandy is on. Houston says " expect to lose communications soon" and at that instant all the entertainment systems within a 2 seat radius go out! Now that's what I call a reality movie. Others must watch the movie throughout the flight because the entertainment system goes down on numerous occasions. Thankfully the plane doesn't.

Sunday 16th August 2015  Changi Airport Singapore.

We arrive at Changi about 6pm and have a few hour's wait until our Jetstar flight, billed as leaving at 21.00, actually leaves at 23.30. A hold up in Melbourne has put the airlines schedule back.
First thing to do is to  get boarding passes. We are resigned to being placed in some convenient seat as everyone has probably checked in on the web. Imagine our surprise when we are offered Emergency Exit aisle seats!! Legroom!!! It might be that because Jetstar is a budget carrier who charges for choosing seats that the cheapskates who use them won't pay the extra for prebooking. Let me point out that we, as Air France superior passengers , are not among those cheapskates, although , admittedly, when we are cheapskate Jetstar users we won't pay the extra to prebook seats.
We have agreed to purchase some duty free spirits and end up with our combined quata od 4.5 litres which will be delivered to us at the boarding gate. This is good as we don't have to lug 8 or 9kg of bottles around. Hopefully they will not check our carry on baggage as, with the spirits, it will be greater than the combined 15 kg allowed. Maybe they will ignore that requirement for us Superior Air France passengers.
By 10.30 we have assembled with everyone else in the gate lounge. The aircraft at the gate does not seem big enough for everyone in the lounge. Despite my reservations, everyone gets aboard and we leave at 11.30.
The Emergency Aisle seats are great. I can stretch, standup and do all the things that real people, who aren't in the other economy seats, can do. In future I could be pursuaded to pay the extra $2.50, or whatever it is, to prebook these seats.

Monday 17th August 2015  Melbourne Australia.

We arrive at Melbourne around 9.30 after another aircraft has been a bit slovenly in leaving our gate.
There is a long queue of people clearing customs but us special people with Australian e-passports bypass the queue, thumbing our noses to those who are foolish enough not to be Australians (or without e-passports). Our bags arrive safely and we make our way to Skybus as our plans for getting home have altered.
It is nice to be back home in familiar surroundings. Before long we are on a Met bus and by 11am we are at our front door. Europe 2015 is over.